Civic education ‘more important than ever’ for vulnerable communities

Natasha Trivers and Rashid Duroseau write in The 74 on the necessity for civic engagement in vulnerable communities to help them navigate policy changes around social safety nets, immigration, protections for LGBTQ+ individuals and other issues. They cite the examples of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and author Ta-Nehisi Coates, whose insights, they say “encapsulate the dual purpose of civic education: helping young people see the world as it is while empowering them to imagine and work toward the world as it ought to be.” The article argues that civic education empowers vulnerable communities to challenge attempts to diminish their rights and dignity while also teaching them to enact positive change.